Banque Alimentaire du Nord

What Banque Alimentaire du Nord does

Banque Alimentaire du Nord is a non-profit food bank (association loi 1901) founded in 1985 and headquartered at the Port Fluvial de Lille, affiliated with the Fédération Française des Banques Alimentaires (FFBA). The organization operates through a headquarters in Lille and three regional antennas in Dunkerque, Ferrière-la-Grande, and Valenciennes, covering the entire Nord department. It is staffed by 12 salaried employees supported by 196 permanent volunteers (Gilets Orange), service civique participants, and PEC beneficiaries, with an additional 3,500+ volunteers mobilized for the annual National Collecte.

Operationally, the organization collects 5,400 tonnes of food per year (2023) from large retailers, agri-food industries, the EU FEAD programme, the French state, agricultural producers, and individuals, then redistributes it free of charge through 184 partner associations and CCAS. In 2024 it helped more than 104,000 people in situations of precarity, of which 30% are students. The technology stack is light and operational: the Passerelle IT tool for partner-association inventory and flow management, the ClickDon platform for large-scale corporate donations (13.3M meals in 2024), the ProxiDon geolocation platform for proximity donations (1.8M meals across 49 departments in 2024), the monpaniersolidaire.org online financial-giving site, and the ESOPE épicerie solidaire for students.

The business model is donation-driven rather than commercial: in-kind food donations, financial donations from individuals and corporations (eligible for 60–75% tax deductions), payroll-giving schemes, EU FEAD co-funding (85% EU / 15% French state), and corporate mécénat across financial, logistical, and skills dimensions. No revenue is publicly disclosed. The organization pursues quality of distribution via the EU 'Paquet Hygiène' (CE 852/2004) framework, GBPH/HACCP training for partners, and a partnership with Jardins de Cocagne for organic produce. It has held the IDEAS governance label since 2021.

Name

Banque Alimentaire du Nord

Legal name

Banque Alimentaire du Nord

Website

https://ba59.banquealimentaire.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Banque Alimentaire du Nord is a non-profit food bank founded in 1985 in Lille, affiliated with FFBA. It collects 5,400 tonnes of food annually and redistributes it free of charge through 184 partner associations to over 104,000 people in precarity across the Nord department.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Food Assistance

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210)

akta.pro primary industry

Buying Clubs & Community Bulk Purchasing Co-ops (CRAHALAE)

Keywords

• Food bank services
• Food rescue redistribution
• Food insecurity aid
• Volunteer charity network
• Social grocery programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lille

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations of food products (in-kind): Free rescue and collection of food from large retailers, agri-food industries, EU (FEAD programme), the French state, agricultural producers, and individuals during the National Collecte. Products are redistributed free of charge to partner associations.
2. Financial donations from individuals and corporations: Individual donations via the website and during National Collecte; corporate donations and sponsorship (mécénat financier, logistique, de compétences); arrondi sur salaire (payroll giving) schemes. Donors receive 60-75% tax deduction.
3. ClickDon platform: Platform for large-scale product donation signaling from companies, enabling equitable redistribution across the network. In 2024, 13.3 million meals distributed via this platform.
4. ProxiDon platform: Geolocation-based service connecting nearby retailers with local associations for small-scale donations. In 2024, distributed over 1.8 million meals across 49 departments.
5. monpaniersolidaire.org: Online financial donation platform mimicking the National Collecte, allowing donors to purchase virtual products. Donations are directed to local food bank needs including food and hygiene products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Banque Alimentaire du Nord collects surplus and donated food from large retailers, agri-food industries, the EU FEAD programme, the French state, agricultural producers, and individuals during the annual National Collecte. It redistributes approximately 5,400 tonnes annually free of charge to 184 partner associations and CCAS across the Nord department, which in turn provide food parcels, social epiceries, and shared meals to over 104,000 people in precarity. The operation is enabled by a volunteer network (Gilets Orange) and digital platforms for donations and inventory management.

Product overview

Banque Alimentaire du Nord is a food bank organization affiliated with the French Federation of Food Banks (FFBA), operating as a not-for-profit charitable entity. The organization provides a unified food aid ecosystem comprising food collection and redistribution services, supported by digital platforms including ClickDon for corporate food donations, ProxiDon for proximity donations, and monpaniersolidaire.org for online financial contributions. The network distributes food through partner associations using the internal Passerelle software tool, manages volunteer operations through the Gilets Orange program, and operates the annual Collecte Nationale event. Services include social groceries (ESOPE), food distribution to 184+ partner associations, and support for people in precarious situations including students (30% of beneficiaries).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Collection and Redistribution Service Core service collecting ~5,400 tonnes of food annually and redistributing it free of charge across the Nord department via 184 partner associations and CCAS to more than 104,000 beneficiaries in precarity.
• ClickDon Platform for large-scale product donation signaling from companies, enabling equitable redistribution across the FFBA food bank network.
• ProxiDon Geolocation-based proximity donation service connecting local shops directly with local associations for small-scale food donations under 1 ton or 2 pallets.
• monpaniersolidaire.org Online financial donation platform mimicking the National Collecte, allowing donors to purchase virtual products whose funds are directed to local food bank needs including food and hygiene products.
• Collecte Nationale (National Collection) Annual three-day national food collection event held across supermarkets, schools, town halls, and companies, mobilizing over 116,000 volunteers to collect food donations from the public.
• ESOPE Epicerie Solidaire (Social Grocery) Social grocery service providing affordable food access where students and young workers in precarious situations purchase products at no more than 10% of market value.
• Sporting Solidarity Events (Urban Trail Solidaire, Randos du Coeur) Annual sporting fundraising events requiring participants to bring 3 kg of food donations, combining physical activity with food collection for the food bank.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,400 tonnes of food collected and redistributed across the Nord department in 2023
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Crédit Agricole Nord de FrancecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 February 2024Provided a €25,000 donation to support food distribution to precarity-affected students at Université de Lille. Crédit Agricole employees also volunteered alongside Banque Alimentaire volunteers during the distribution event. 230 students received 4,000+ products.
• Jardins de Cocagne (Réseau Cocagne)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership since 2023 creating a solidarity supply chain of biological fruits and vegetables produced by social integration employees. Contributes to the 'Mieux Manger Pour Tous' programme, a multi-annual fund integrated into the Pacte des Solidarités until 2027.
• Fédération Française des Banques Alimentaires (FFBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBanque Alimentaire du Nord is affiliated to the FFBA, which coordinates 79 Banques Alimentaires nationally, manages the ClickDon and ProxiDon platforms, provides training (hygiene and safety, GBPH/HACCP), and supplies the Passerelle IT tool. FFBA represents the network in EU negotiations for FEAD programme.
• European Union (FEAD programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe EU FEAD (Fonds Européen d'Aide aux plus Démunis) programme is a major supply source, co-funded at 85% by the EU and 15% by the French state. For 2014-2020, €500 million was attributed to France for dry and frozen products. FEAD represents one-third of meals distributed in France.
• Carrefour, Leclerc, Casino, Auchan, Intermarché, Métro, Système U, Grand-Frais, Lidl, Cora, Pomona (Grande Distribution)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner2,761+ large and medium supermarkets nationally provide daily 'ramasse' (morning collection) of fresh products near their expiry date and fresh produce. SCA Fruits Légumes convention adds to fresh produce sources. In 2019, these stores enabled distribution of 100 million meals.
• Danone, Andros, Bonduelle, General Mills, Barilla, Nestlé, Les Mousquetaires, Bigard, Savencia (Industrie Agro-Alimentaire)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner1,166+ agri-food companies donate products with packaging/labeling defects or surplus. These donations reach 24,907 tonnes. Key partners include Danone, Andros, Bonduelle, General Mills, Barilla, Nestlé, Les Mousquetaires, Bigard, Savencia, Cité Marine, Frial, Jean Martin, and Tipiak Panification. Tax deduction of 60% of donation value.
• Elior, Sodexo (Restauration Collective)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvention signed in 2019 between FFBA, Elior, and Sodexo to facilitate food donations from collective catering operations. The 2018 'Alimentation' law further encourages donations from industries and collective catering.
• Arkéa, Bel, Ernst&Young (Arrondi sur Salaire)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCompanies offering payroll giving (arrondi sur salaire) where employees donate micro-donations from their net salary. Employers may match contributions. Arkéa, Bel, and Ernst&Young participate in this scheme.
• Barilla, Harry's, Intermarché/Netto, L'Oeuf de nos villages, Socopa, Subway, Pom'alliance, TEFAL (Opérations Partage)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCompanies running 'opération partage' promotional campaigns where consumers directly contribute to Banques Alimentaires at point of purchase. POM'alliance is cited as a specific example of a successful partnership.
• JeVeuxAider.gouv.frcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational civic engagement platform used by FFBA and Banques Alimentaires to recruit the 116,000+ volunteers needed for the annual National Collecte event. Essential for volunteer mobilization.
• Kiwani, Lions Club, Rotary (Service Clubs)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerService clubs (Kiwanis, Lions Club, Rotary) participate annually in organizing and collecting donations during the National Collecte weekend.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ANDES (Association Nationale de Développement des Épiceries Solidaires): National network of social and solidarity grocery stores (épiceries sociales et solidaires) in France. Comparable through the shared épicerie solidaire model that Banque Alimentaire du Nord's partner associations operate, and through shared supplier relationships with retailers.
• Croix-Rouge française: Major French humanitarian organization that is simultaneously a partner association receiving Banque Alimentaire du Nord's redistributed food and an independent food aid operator. Comparable due to overlapping food aid programming and beneficiary base.
• Secours Populaire Français: National French non-profit providing food, clothing, and social aid to people in precarity. Comparable as a parallel community aid operator in France with overlapping beneficiary segments and volunteer-driven model.
• European Food Banks Federation (FEBA): Umbrella federation for food banks across Europe, of which FFBA is a member. Comparable as the coordinating body that links Banque Alimentaire du Nord's model to peer food bank operators in Italy, Spain, Poland, and elsewhere.
• Restos du Coeur: Largest French food aid non-profit, distributing meals directly to beneficiaries through its own network of centers. Directly comparable as a parallel food-insecurity relief model operating at national scale in France, though with a different distribution architecture.
• Fédération Française des Banques Alimentaires (FFBA): Parent federation coordinating the 79 French Banques Alimentaires including Banque Alimentaire du Nord. Operates the shared ClickDon, ProxiDon, and Passerelle platforms and negotiates EU FEAD funding on behalf of all member food banks.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: Largest US hunger-relief non-profit operating a network of 200+ food banks. Comparable as a larger, established food bank federation applying the same surplus-rescue-to-redistribution model at much greater scale across a different national market.
• The Trussell Trust (UK Foodbanks): UK food bank network providing emergency food parcels to people in crisis. Comparable as an established European food bank federation operating a parallel model of surplus collection and partner association distribution.

Emerging players

• Jardins de Cocagne (Réseau Cocagne): French network of social integration organic gardens supplying biological produce, including to Banque Alimentaire du Nord since 2023 under the 'Mieux Manger Pour Tous' programme. Comparable as a complementary supply-side partner addressing nutritional quality and social integration in food aid.
• Phénix (anti-waste food platform): French commercial anti-food-waste start-up connecting retailers' surplus with consumers and associations. Comparable as a tech-enabled intermediary operating between retailers and food aid organizations, partially overlapping with ProxiDon and ClickDon.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/banquealimentaire.lille
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/banque-alimentaire-du-nord
• Instagraminstagram.com/banquealimentairedunord59

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Banque Alimentaire du Nord